The scope of Media Independent Handover (MIH) standard is to develop a specification that provides link layer intelligence and other related network information to upper layers to optimize handovers between heterogeneous media. This includes links specified by 3GPP, 3GPP2 and both wired and wireless media in the IEEE 802 family of standards.
The IEEE 802.21 standard proposes a standardized mechanism to optimize mobility in terms of reducing the handover delay and packet loss in a heterogeneous access network environment by a MIH communication between network and mobile terminal.
In order to facilitate handover between heterogeneous media, link layer intelligence and network information is provided to upper layers. These upper layers are called MIH Users.
Criteria for the handover are minimal data loss and break time without user intervention, support of applications of different tolerance characteristics and providing means for obtaining quality of service (QoS) information of a neighbour network.
IEEE 802.21, Draft IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Media Independent Handover Services, IEEE P802.21/D01.08, August 2006 discloses a standard for supporting handovers between heterogeneous networks.
A framework for an evolution or migration of the 3GPPP is known from the document 3GPP TR 23.882 V1.4.0 (2006-09), 3GPP System Architecture Evolution: Report on technical Options and Conclusions (Release 7).
A personal network management is known from the document 3GPP TS 22.259 V8.1.0 (2006-09), Service requirements for Personal Network Management (PNM); Stage 1 (Release 8).
The document 3GPP TR 22.978 V7.1.0 (2005-06), Technical Specification Group Services and Systems Aspects; All-IP Network (AIPN) feasibility study (Release 7) discusses the feasibility of the progression of the 3GPP system to an AIPN.
The document V. Devarapalli, R. Wakikawa, A. Petrescu, P. Thubert, “Network Mobility (NEMO) Basic Support Protocol”, RFC3963, IETF January 2005 discloses a network mobility (NEMO) basic support protocol enabling mobile networks to attach to different points in the internet.
The known concepts of MIH consider terminal mobility. There may be a need to support moving networks as mobility endpoints.